Lawyer’s Lantern
JUDGE CHARLES N. CLEVERT JR. BY LAURIE ADAMSON
Charles N. Clevert Jr. is an Article III federal judge serving in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He joined the court in 1996 after President Bill Clinton nominated him. Clevert served as the court’s Chief Judge from September 1, 2009 until he assumed senior status on October 31, 2012.
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Having grown up in the segregated South, you know firsthand the impact of under- representation and unequal treatment under the law. How did your early childhood experiences inform your decision to practice law? I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and attended racially seg- regated schools from the day I entered to the day I gradu- ated high school in 1965. During that time, Virginia was segregated and black people were treated unfairly and as second-class citizens. I observed directly what was happen- ing regarding the schools. After the United States Supreme Court decided Brown v. Board of Education, Virginia commenced “Massive Resistance” to school integration and began to close schools around the state rather than to integrate them. Nearby Prince Edward County’s school clo- sure was glaring; it was talked about in the newspapers, on television and in the neighborhood. Te state gave vouchers to white students to pay for private schooling and made no provisions for black students. Around that time, I met Doug Wilder, a young graduate of Howard University Law School who would later become the governor of Virginia. I was privileged to see Wilder in court. He inspired me to go to law school and to pursue a career that would enable me to make a difference in the lives of others.
You went to Wisconsin with plans to break into the legal world and later return to your hometown, but you never left. What made you stay in Wisconsin?
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Following graduation from the Georgetown Law Center, I arrived in Milwaukee as an assistant district attorney and had the opportunity to get into court quickly to handle a wide variety of criminal cases. After being in the District Attorney’s Office for just over a year, I was able to argue in front of juries, expand my experiences and second chair a murder trial. Also, while in the DA’s Office, I met my wife who later influenced me to apply for a bankruptcy judge- ship. I was appointed to the bankruptcy court at age 30 and my career continued to blossom. I have had the opportunity to resolve significant legal disputes impacting people from all walks of life. I have raised a family and hope that I can continue to make a difference in Wisconsin and beyond.
You served as an assistant U.S. attorney of the Eastern District of Wisconsin from 1975 until 1977. How did your time as a federal attorney impact your time on the bench later? As an assistant United States attorney, I was able to handle civil and criminal cases. Tose cases were in front of excellent district court judges—John Reynolds, Myron Gordon and Robert Warren. Tese judges provided me with exceptional examples of scholarship, good temperament and courtroom skill. I learned a lot from them, and I have adopted many of their practices and procedures, includ- ing showing respect for the lawyers, litigants and jurors. Judge Reynolds demonstrated that a little levity can diffuse tense moments in the court, help people to relax, and allow everyone to get back to the serious business at hand.
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